I think this attention is good because it’s breaking the stereotype that all homeschoolers are conservative Christians seeking to indoctrinate their children, and that they only teach with religious curriculums, shunning science. While there are homeschoolers who are extremely religious, I think it should be noted that many people homeschool for a variety of reasons. Yet I believe every homeschooling parent wants to impart their own beliefs and morals on their children without the negative influences inflicting youth today. Most of us want to allow our children to experience childhood without pressure from peers, testing or a one-size-fits-all curriculum.

It should be noted that self-proclaimed secular homeschoolers may or may not be religious. Religion may play a part in their life just as many traditionally schooled children have a religious upbringing and attend church. Yet religion indoctrination is not the reason for homeschooling, and they most likely teach from a secular perspective. Secular homeschoolers seek more diverse and tolerant companions while socializing too.

As I’ve mentioned before, I respect every parent’s right to teach their children in their own way. If I don’t respect your right, how can I expect you to respect mine? I also appreciate that because of the work of many religious homeschoolers, homeschooling is now legal in all 50 of the United States.

I have friends who are religious and others who are not. I think it’s a shame when someone may not want to befriend us because they don’t like our viewpoint, but I can’t do anything about that. I seek open-minded people who are willing to see our similarities. We all love our children and want what is best for them. We want to give them a good education, help them build bright futures, and teach them to tolerate and respect all people as long as they do not physically or emotionally hurt another person. (Believe me, I know it can be hard to respect other’s viewpoints, but I try.)

So, let’s spread the word: Many homeschooling families are moderate, run-of-the-mill people who find that this lifestyle fits their family!

9 thoughts on “Secular Homeschooling Is On The Rise”

I agree. Can’t we all just get along? There may be times I disagree with someone’s ideas but I hope that most are making the decisions that find are best for their family. It is nice to know that secular homeschoolers are getting the exposure they need to break the stereotypes. Great post and beautiful photo!

Thank you for this. As someone who is religious, but not the kind of religious that is accepted by homeschooling groups in my area, I often feel completely left out. But we’re not secular enough for the strictly secular groups either. It is a weird place to be and it’s nice to see reminders that all sorts of people homeschool.

Beth, I agree. And I feel the same way. I’m liberal in some ways and conservative in others. It’s hard to find a perfect fit with social groups. So I’m testing my own abilities to be open-minded and find friends who are similar and different, but concentrate on what is similar while respecting the different. Because that’s all we can really do in the end, isn’t it?

Religion has very little to do with it for us, though we certainly have our beliefs! For us it’s more about quality of education and having the time to interact with others in a more meaningful way. I know a lot of people talk about how homeschoolers aren’t socialized enough, but I love that my kid can have an all-day playdate with a friend and really get the kind of quality interaction with a peer that she wouldn’t get at school. I guess for us, it’s about all-around quality over quantity.

My son’s YouTube Channel

In a Nutshell…

We are project-based homeschoolers who let our kids’ interests take over our lives. (I’m not exaggerating much.) We also teach academic subjects that they will need to get into good universities because that seems to be where they are headed. Our boys have many interests that have led us on a journey of discovery. Some of their interests include science and nature, particularly birds and horticulture. They are also musicians. One son is an aspiring classical pianist. The other wants to play cello as a hobby. My husband is a professor and historian. I’m a writer and love literature. There is never a boring day in this house. Please join us on our journey by following this blog.

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